God and the Angel: Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier’s Tour de Force of Australia and New Zealand

A story of romance, fame, glamour and betrayal to rival that of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The ’ undisputed King and Queen of the English stage, ’ Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh toured Australia in 1948 as an adored celebrity couple. God and The Angel details the heights of their fame and the beginnings of the end of their ’ fairy-tale’ love story. This is the first illustrated book on the 1948 Old Vic Tour of Australia and New Zealand, led by Olivier and Leigh. Written from an Australian perspective and utilising never-before published photos from the National Library and author’s collection, God and the Angel diarises a theatrical tour amidst a tense postwar context.

Shiroma Perera-Nathan is a life-long fan of Vivien Leigh. She has travelled to many places connected with The Old Vic tour and discovered the official tour album held in the National Library collections. She has contributed a chapter to the University of Rennes, Paris, Vivien Leigh conference book, and written several blog entries for classic film websites. With a New Zealand and Australian background, Shiroma has a unique perspective on The Old Vic Tour.